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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27595232">shape shift with me</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/soulfriend/pseuds/soulfriend'>soulfriend</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>New Mutants (Comics), X-Men (Comicverse)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Love Confession, Other, doug is autistic [heart emoji], feel good, fluff kinda, soulmerging</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 00:07:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>590</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27595232</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/soulfriend/pseuds/soulfriend</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Doug tells Warlock he loves him, aka trying to explain the human concept of love to an alien from a society where the parents fight their children to the death.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Douglas Ramsey/Warlock (New Mutants)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>31</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>shape shift with me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Doug and Warlock had never felt the need to put a name to their relationship; Doug was Doug and Warlock was Warlock and sometimes they were Dougandwarlock. When they merged, they didn’t need to speak; they simply understood each other. Doug’s thoughts became Warlock’s, Warlock’s voice became Doug’s, and they were one, wildly out of control and yet so very in tune with each other.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But sometimes Doug wanted to tell Warlock anyways, how much he meant to him, how much he loved him. As if, despite their mutual understanding, saying it would make it more real.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, ‘Lock?” They were sitting in Doug’s room, doing nothing in particular, occasionally merging, experimenting to see what they could do. Soulmerging was the best experience Doug had ever had, and every time outdid the last one. Sometimes he wondered if, at some point, they would merge and never break away from each other.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, Selfsoulfriend?” Warlock reached out, and their hands intertwined.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I, uh.” Doug suddenly felt embarrassed, and he felt a blush rising to his cheeks. “I just wanted to tell you. That…” His and Warlock’s hands had become one. It was such a familiar feeling that he wouldn’t have noticed had he not looked down at his lap. The gesture gave him a new surge of confidence. “I love you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Warlock tilted his head to the side. “Yes. Self knows this.” His tone was matter-of-fact, implicitly asking why Doug had even bothered to say it at all. “And Self loves Soulfriend. And Friendsam, and Frienddani, and all Newmutantsfriends.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Doug shook his head. “No, it’s different. I mean, yeah, friends love each other, but the kind of love I’m talking about…” He trailed off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>How, exactly, did one explain love?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s special, y’know? When I’m with you, it makes me feel nervous, but also really affectionate. I like being close to you, more than anyone else. It makes me feel like...” His blush deepened. “Like I want to be with you forever.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Warlock frowned. It wasn’t a </span>
  <em>
    <span>frown</span>
  </em>
  <span>, per se; his body language was like no other Doug had seen. But, of course, Doug had no problem understanding it, so much so that he didn’t even notice the difference. He supposed his mutant power was another reason he and Warlock fit so well together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Self still does not understand.” He wanted to, though; Doug could hear it in his voice, feel it through the connection of their hands that was quickly growing, expanding up Doug’s arm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess… </span>
  <em>
    <span>self</span>
  </em>
  <span>... can try and show you?” It was getting harder to speak, now. The merge was almost complete.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he and Selfsoulfriendwarlock became one, he tried to communicate how he felt, tried to make love a language he could speak. Tried to show Selfsoulfriendwarlock how safe he felt when they were together, how much joy he brought him, how afraid he was of losing him. But, because of the soulmerge, Selfsoulfriendoug simultaneously felt like he was both trying to explain and trying to understand. He hoped it was enough.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Of course it was enough.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Splitting apart was always disappointing. It made Doug feel like he was empty, missing something. But this time, Warlock didn’t split all the way apart; he left their hands merged. Warmth spread through Doug's body at the gesture. He could feel that the connection between them was deeper, now. He didn’t have to speak, just leaned into Warlock, who formed himself around Doug.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And although they were silent, he could have sworn he heard Warlock say he loved him.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>apologies for how short this is i just wanted to write about Them<br/>follow me on tumblr @samberto !!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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